Between 02x02 adn 02x03
by AmyBeckett
Summary: Is Neptune about to spin out of control or will Veronica remember who she is first? Next in the series after 'Additions to 02x01' Previosly posted elsewhere as 'Reviving Veronica'


Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Veronica Mars (well my computer I typed this on I guess) and am only having what I hope is harmless fun with the characters. I mean no infringement on any copyrights held by Rob Thomas, UPN, the WB, or any other person or entity with legal rights to the show. And if requested by any of the aforementioned owners I will remove all instances of this from public forums.  
Author's note: I have no beta, and I'm ok with that. Yes there maybe some grammatical errors, but if you don't like it just go read another fic.  
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Veronica fumbled with her bag as she took off across the parking lot with no-one insight. Several items fell out of the bag and she stopped to retrieve them. Right after she ducked down, Logan and Dick exited the school and moved to the side. When Veronica spotted them she kept herself concealed and watched as Dick and Logan spoke in agitated tones. She was too far off to hear what was said, but she clearly saw Logan's mouth form the words 'Damn PCHers' before they reentered the school. 

Veronica stood from her hiding spot, but her urgency from before had been drained away. _I would have to be unimaginably naive to believe that was about our latest class project. No, I'm willing to bet the class war here in Neptune's about to heat up yet again._ She shook her head and started trudging towards the school. _Why can't sneaking by Clemmons be my worst concern about being late like a normal person?_  
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Wallace joined Veronica at their lockers smiling and glibly calling "You over sleep your beauty rest this morning Snow White?"

Veronica turned to him with the look of impending doom. "We have a problem."

"Wow, you made that sound way ominous." Wallace answered jokingly, but when she didn't smile turned serious. "What's up?"

"I saw Logan and Dick talking this morning. It looks like things are going to heat up with the PCHers again."

"So explain to me how _we_ have a problem?"

"I don't know… because the metal detectors are bad enough, and I don't want to be stripped searched when I enter this building?" She closed her locker and turned to walk away.

Wallace rolled his eyes, but takes a few quick steps and catches up with her. "Alright, this matters to you. What are _we_ doing about it?" he says resignedly.

"For now, just keep your ears open, I can't figure out what to do if I don't know what's going on."  
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Duncan came into journalism to find Veronica scowling at a paper with disjointed notes covering it. As he dropped into the chair next to her he inquired, "You need some help on that?"

As soon as she heard his voice, she slid the paper into the nearby notebook in a forced casual manor. "No, it's nothing, just can't seem to get the story to fall together yet. I'm sure it will come to me soon."

Duncan gave her a reproachful look, "I know it's not a story for journalism, because I saw your current assignment was e-mailed in last night. So, what is going on Veronica?"

Veronica looked back at him for a moment before sighing in defeat. "I overheard Logan and Dick talking this morning. I didn't catch a lot, but it seemed like something is going on with them and the PCHers again."

Duncan looked shocked, "And you're… investigating?" She gave him a shrug and half nod. "Why? It's not your concern." When he saw her sour look start to form he continued quickly. "I mean it doesn't even involve you and even if you do figure it out, how are you going to do anything to stop them?"

Veronica looked around the room to make sure everyone was out of ear shot, before responding in a quiet, but tight voice, "Do you remember this summer when the community pool caught on fire?" Duncan nodded clearly confused about her topic change. "Well before it happened I ignored several warning flags, and just pretended that nothing was wrong. So, I spent the next several weeks berating myself for my apathy, and I'll be damned if I'm going to do it again."

"Veronica I understand you want to do something, but this is crazy. There is no way you can take on the PCH bike club and win." He looked at her with eyes pleading for her to understand and relent.

She looked back at him with determination, "It's not the PCHers I'm worried about right now; it's Logan and Dick. And based on how they where acting this morning, whatever they are planning is meant to be covert, and if I can just blow the cover it'll hopefully put them off."

He looked at her with exasperation, but cautiously asked "So you are not planning to put yourself in danger?"

"Nope, I'm just listening to gossip and trying to figure out what is up." She had a look of deep thought for a moment before she brightened. "You know, you could help me out with talking to people."

Duncan looked at her with irritation, but nodded "As long as it will keep you out of trouble."  
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Veronica sat with several papers of notes spread across her desk in her room and Wallace was crashed on her bed. "Are you sure you didn't overhear something?" she asked in a near desperate tone.

Wallace's laughed loud at that, "Girl I think I would notice if something was said around me. After all I have been pickin' up your grade A PI skills."

Veronica nearly growled in frustration, "But that can't be, I have nothing here."

"Maybe that's because there's nothing to find."

"No I am sure something is going on. Missy Nelson is holding an impromptu to party tomorrow night and Logan, Dick, Caz and another lowlife 09er all claimed earlier plans today."

"Maybe they just don't think the party is going to be up to their standards."

"No, Missy's a junior and her friends are known to be extremely easy when drunk. It's the exact MO those four like to hit." Wallace started laughing unexpectedly, and she demanded "What?"

When he calmed down enough to talk he answered, "I just caught myself about to say 'maybe they've finally grown up,' but then I remembered you had said Dick."

Veronica smiled at him, "So you see what I'm thinking?" Wallace nodded. "All I can think is that they are deliberately keeping the information from getting to me, but that seems extremely paranoid."

Wallace looked serious when he answered, "Not really, I mean everyone knows whatever me and Duncan know you likely know, so they just aren't telling us anything."

She looked disgruntled and then countered, "Alright Mr. new PI, how do suggest I proceed?"

"At this point I'm not sure what you can do. You're channels have been shut down, you can try to work around what they've set up, but with the deadline it would be tight. Or you try to stop them with what you have."

"The problem is I have nothing Wallace. At least nothing I can use to intimidate them into backing off."

Wallace was quiet for a moment and then answered with extreme hesitation, "Maybe you couldn't intimidate them, but Weevil would probably have a decent chance."

Veronica looked at him in terror, "Weevil wouldn't intimidate them - he'd look for preemptive retaliation."

Wallace shrugged, "You use to trust him to keep his cool. In fact I remember one humorous story about Polly's disappearance." Veronica looked at him skeptically. Wallace grabbed his backpack and headed out. "I need to head home, even your father can't make mom happy enough to forget my curfew." He looked at her over his shoulder, "Just think about it." And then he was gone.

Veronica bit her lip and contemplated her phone screen with Weevil's name highlighted in her phonebook, but in the end she scrolled up and dialed. The phone rang twice before it was answered with a distracted "llo"

"It's Veronica, I need a favor."

The voice on the other end was alert and slightly excited when it responded, "Now there are words I haven't heard in awhile. So, what do you need me to do? Hack into the grade books? Sheriff's files? DOD defense satellites?"

Veronica laughed despite her pensive mood and answered, "Sorry, nothing that interesting Mac. I just need some gossip and I think my sources are being stone walled. I was hoping you might be able to sneak around it."

Mac sounded slightly deflated, but still happy, "Sure, what's the goal."

Veronica explained her suspicions and then finished with, "And I'm kind of in a time crunch here, I think whatever is going to happen is going to do so tomorrow night."

"I understand, I'll get on it tonight, but I probably won't have anything until morning. This kind of thing is better done during my extremely boring study hall." Veronica could practically hear her roll her eyes when she mentioned the dreaded class. "And I better not find out that you're got some other half as skilled geek doing your computer work."

Veronica smiled broadly at the comment. "I've actually been trying to stay out of it lately. Haven't had any computer work to be done, but I promise you if I get roped into something you'll be the first I call."

"Really?" Mac asked in disbelief. "I mean you where good at it Veronica, and I always thought you got a rush out of it. Kind of like I do with my computer magic. It just seemed like it was a part of who you are." She paused for a moment, and Veronica slipped into contemplation. "Well anyhow, I'll see what I can find out for you. Talk to you later."

"Yeah later." Veronica answered as she hung up.  
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Veronica peaks around a corner of Neptune High's hall. _Alright, while I detest Lamb's locker searches, I have to admit that they can be useful._ Her hands are covered in gloves when she pops open a locker and we see scantily clad women from magazines covering the door. _Let's just hope Dick has forgotten that I was able to plant that bong in Logan's locker. _She picks up a standard schedule book, but it's blank. _Tisk tisk, it appears Dick doesn't use his handy dandy planner. Not like he could make this easy on me. _She begins flipping through notebooks, books, folders and anything else in the locker. She steps back with a look of defeat. _No addresses scrawled in margins or evil how to guides._

Veronica closes the locker and moves to another. _At least there's less stuff in Logan's locker. _She repeats the process again, but still finds nothing. She steps back and contemplates the locker for a moment, before reaching up and slipping an envelope out from behind the surfer picture he has in the inside of his door. _This one is crafty one; let's see what's worth the hassle._ She opens the envelope and slides out two photographs. The first is of his mother and a young Logan at a beach somewhere. Veronica flips the first one behind, only to come face to face with herself smiling happily at Logan from that summer. _What in the world…_ Veronica was broken from her shock when a noise came from around the corner. She quickly replaced the pictures and hurried in the opposite direction.  
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Veronica was distracted as she entered the bathroom that doubled as her office the next day. _How can I still be walking blind on this one? Mac couldn't find anything and now I have less than 12 hours to stop whatever deviant plot they've put into place. _She went strait to the sink and started washing her hands without even noticing the person leaned awkwardly against the far wall. He shifted from foot to foot and then spoke up, "Umm, Veronica?"

Her whole body whipped to face the intruder, demanding "What are you doing in here?"

Cassidy looked even more nervous and his eyes darted around. "Everyone knows that this is your umm, office at school." She still looked at him with a guarded expression and he stumbled on. "I also, umm, heard you where trying to, ahh, find out what Logan was doing tonight."

She relaxed a little at his explanation, and grabbed a paper towel drying off her hands. "And what, he and Dick think you'll be able to scare me off?"

His nervousness receded as he answered, "They don't know I'm here."

She gave him a skeptical look and countered, "But I thought you where one of the little helper elves?"

"Ahh, you figured out about the pool this summer?" She nodded. "Well, I didn't go with them that night, but when I saw the paper, I told them I thought it was too far. Since then they've been leaving me out of what they're up to." He paused and looked nervous again. "What are you going to do if you find out what's up tonight?" Veronica gave him a look like she couldn't believe his stupidity. "I mean you'll obviously try to stop them, but are you like going to turn them into the sheriff?"

She studied him for a moment. "Not unless someone is going to get hurt and I can't stop it myself." Cassidy seemed relieved and nodded. "So have you heard something about what's going to happen tonight?"

"Yeah…" he paused uncomfortably, but took a deep breath and continued. "Mrs. Navarro has to work late tonight and Weevil shouldn't be home. They're planning to do something to the house." Veronica gapes at him in shock. "I don't think it's anything like the fire." he continues quickly. "I heard them talking about paint the other night."

"Yes, that's so much better." she responded still shocked. Then she jolted into reality, "They're not the only ones who live there."  
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Veronica sat in her LeBarron down the road from Weevil's house hunched down in her chair. _And here I thought all night stake outs in the wrong part of town where now just part of my colorful history._ She sees several shadows of people trying to sneak around moving further down the road. _But it looks like I've at least still got it._ She reaches forward and turns on her headlight which frame the would be culprits. Five bodies turn immediately to her car with varying looks of surprise and fear. Veronica has stepped out of the driver's side and is now leaning on the hood. "So, that's what they mean when they say caught in the headlights expression."

Dick and Logan's expressions turn to anger when they see her. "Turn those damn lights off before someone sees them." Caz demands in a nervous voice.

Veronica favors him with her dizziest look, "Oh, I never would have thought of that." She turns back to Logan, "Well, now that you've lost your element of stealth you should just run along home."

"Well, I've see you've chosen your side in all this." Dick snarled at her.

"And here I thought you'd moved up from the biker for Kane. Or is he just not low enough class for you?" Shawn muttered in contribution.

Logan turned his glare from Veronica to Shawn and he immediately shut up and shrank back. Logan redirected his attention to her again. "So you really are turning against your friends, huh? Thought you'd know how dangerous the PCHers are when you got sprayed with glass this summer."

Veronica rolled her eyes at him, "What I happen to know is that there are children in that house."

"And you're loyalty to Weevil is so well earned that you're here protecting them."

"If my _loyalty_ to Weevil was so well defined I wouldn't have hesitated to call him to deal with your little escapade."

Logan's focus changed to the end of the road where motorcycles could be heard distantly. "I see you're desire to interfere with my life found a way around that in the end though."

Veronica closed her door and turned to watch as three bikes cruised down the road and stopped next to her car. Weevil and his two associates climbed off their bikes and stood facing the 09ers, leaving Veronica off to the side. After a few moments the face-off was broken when Logan laughed hollowly and said in a condescending tone, "Well, well, well. It must be so nice for you to have Veronica around to warn you about my fun."

Neither of them spared a glance at her as Weevil countered with cold indifference, "Unlike some people, I know what's going on around my side of town." Weevil paused for a moment, "Without the help of nosey blonds."

Logan scoffed in disbelief, "Just keep telling yourself that."

Weevil glared at him for another moment, then ordered "Just go get into that yellow eye-sore down a few doors and get gone." Logan didn't relent from the face off, "Unless of course you're of the intention to finally start this fight."

"I'd be careful if I was you Paco; you are the one out numbered right now."

Weevil took an assessment of the boys surrounding Logan. "I'd have to say at worst we're even… that's not accounting for the others headed here now." He paused for his declaration to sink in. "So get gone." Logan favored him with one last glare, before turning towards his SUV. Weevil turned his head to the side addressing the boys behind him, "Make sure they don't get lost."

The one closest to Veronica asked, "We be makin' sure _all_ of them go, right?" as he turned to head around the car towards her.

Logan heard him and slowed his steps, looking over his shoulder towards Veronica for the first time since he heard the bikes. She stood her ground, face expressionless, but concern flickered in her eyes. Weevil's voice stopped the other biker before he rounded the bumper, "Need a word with her; just deal with them." He jerked his head at where the 09ers where loading into the SUV. While they remounted their bikes, Logan tried to catch Veronica's gaze, but she refused his eye contact. As the motorcycles approached the SUV he gave up and drove off.

Veronica watched as the other motorcycles pulled around the corner, following Logan's SUV, leaving her alone with Weevil. He turned towards her for the first time and surveyed her from her crumpled jeans and sweater, to her worn off makeup and finally her messily pulled back pony tail. "Really slumin' it tonight aren't you?" She pierced him with her worst glare as he rounded the car, but said nothing. "If you're gonna go to so much trouble to run into the rich snob, I'd think you'd at least look good."

Veronica rolled her eyes to cover her irritation at his callousness. "Well pardon me if the three hours wait in my car ruffled my edges."

She turned to get back into her car, but he reached over her shoulder and held the door shut. "What the hell are you doing here Veronica?" His voice made her name sound like and insult, and she flinched minutely.

She answered without turning back, "At the moment I'm trying to leave. Any particular reason you're impeding that?"

"I want to know why you think you can just waltz back in here any time you damn well please."

"In here!" she asked indignantly as she whipped around to face him. "I live four blocks from here Weevil. It's the same damned zip code even."

"But you're one of them now." he accused as he crowded her backwards against the car. "You've got your rich boyfriend back; your dad's gonna be sheriff again; you're old life. You're one of them again, aren't you?"

Veronica looked taken aback for a moment, then glared back at him. "I was here to stop them wasn't I?"

He gave a slight nod of concession to her, but his expression was still cold as he demanded, "But why?"

"It was the right thing to do."

He gave her a disbelieving look, "This from the girl who stole evidence from the sheriff's department? I think not."

"That was to protect Wallace."

He gave her another nod of concession and sly smirk. "And who are you protecting now?"

Shock fluttered across her face, but she recovered quickly. "You're cousins, nieces and nephews, who have nothing to do with this class war." The slight smirk didn't leave his face, and that compound with his proximity made her slightly flustered. "I found out what they where planning and it was just the right thing to stop them."

His smirk grew, "You _found_ out." Her eyes clouded with confusion at his emphasis. "The only reason I caught wind something was up was because of the noise you made looking into it." Her eyes flashed with surprise as his words sunk in. "So, why where you looking in the first place?"

His knowing smirk and tone irritated her to the point of anger. "It's not like I did it to help you." she exploded. "I'm just sick of this whole mess. You and Logan trading insults in the hall is one thing, but the rest of this needs to stop, before someone else gets hurt." As she ranted she advanced back on his, bringing them to rest one step away from the car.

Weevil's smirk hadn't left his face, but it lost its condescending edge. "And you what…Thought you'd tilt your head, ask real nice and we'd burry the hatchet?"

She contemplated him for a moment before answering, "Maybe it's a lost cause, but a fire can't start without a spark."

"And how are you going to achieve this?"

"Charm, strength of will, damn good information network…"

"You can't go sticking your nose in Bario business while you're looking down it at the same thing." he warned in a hard voice.

"I'm not looking down my nose at anyone." He gave her a skeptical look. "I'm here aren't I?"

"In the shadows. What about tomorrow? Do you go back to ignoring me?"

"Do you go back to glaring at me?"

He ignored her and continued, "No-one in the Bario will help you as long as you keep pretending you're one of them."

"So what, I'm not suppose to talk to 09ers now?" she asked sarcastically.

The look he gave her was filled with so much frustration she started to take a step back. "Duro mujer." He took a deep breath and continued, "Not even you're this dense."

Veronica opened her mouth to snap at him, but then stopped and smiled in a manner to sweet to be natural. "Gosh, you aren't trying to tell me you miss talking to me are you?"

Weevil sighed in frustration, "I'm trying to tell you to stop taking sides."

"I'm not taking sides. Remember I just want it all to stop."

"Then stop letting everyone think you are." he ground out, before turning on heel and walking into his house.  
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As Veronica approached her apartment building her phone rang and she answered absentmindedly. "Hello"

Duncan's worried voice assaulted her, "I called to make sure you where ok."

Veronica smiled and spoke casually, "I'm fine. I told you I had to work tonight."

She started walking up the steps but his next words stalled her. "Since when does your job include stopping Logan from being a moron?"

She resumed walking at a faster pace with suspicion written across her face, "How do you know that?"

"I was at Missy's party when Caz was dropped off. He wasn't even through the door when he started telling this crazy story about how a few of them where headed to cause trouble with the PCHers and you come out of nowhere to stop them."

Veronica closed the door behind her and started looking the apartment for something. "Yeah, you remember us talking in the journalism room about that."

"I remember you planning to look into the gossip about it, but I seem to have forgotten the part where you where going to stake out the target."

She pulls her head out of Keith's room and collapses on the couch. "By the time I found out what was going on it was the best way to make sure they got stopped." Duncan releases a sigh of displeasure but says nothing, so she continued in a placating tone, "I was just there to send them home, nothing major."

"And where does Weevil fit into this nothing major?" he asked bitterly.

Her voice carried confusion as she answered, "What?"

"Caz made sure to mention that you where still there when they left and that he wanted to _talk_ with you."

Veronica coughed unconvincingly to try and hide a laugh, "Weevil wanted to know what I was doing there."

His voice carried a slight accusation as he spoke, "The general impression is that you where the one who told him where to be."

Veronica rolled her eyes as she answered, "I was there by myself. Weevil found out on his own." Duncan sighed in relief and she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Why are you acting like it would have been a problem if I had?"

When Duncan spoke again it was in a calm voice, "Veronica, you probably know what's going on better than I do." Her eyes widened and she made a noise of protest, but Duncan cut her off. "I'm not saying I think its right, but it is how it is." He paused uncertainly, "And the reality of it is we are more 09ers than anything else."

Veronica had a look of disappointment crossed with confusion, but she answered in a normal tone. "Yeah… I've got a lot of homework I need to get done by tomorrow, I better go Duncan." Then after his platitudes of goodbye she hung up and sat dejectedly on the couch. _How did Neptune turn into this?_  
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Veronica lay in her bed staring at the ceiling without a trace of tiredness. _Come on Veronica, just close your eyes and get some sleep._ She looked back and forth in her room and then cautiously closed her eyes.

Just as she started to relax, Weevil's voice cuts through the dark with a flashback like quality, "…stop taking sides." Her eyes snap back open. _Damn-it Weevil, no sides I swear. I just want to sleep, is that to much to ask!_ When no response is forthcoming from her empty room she closes her eyes again.

This time it was Mac's voice that interrupts her, "It just seemed like it was a part of who you are." She didn't open her eyes this time, _It was more what I had to be, I didn't exactly get a choice in it._ Mac wasn't as easily deterred as Weevil, "…and I always thought you got a rush out of it." Veronica opened her eyes then, _That was just the adrenaline,_ but her internal voice sounded weak even to herself. Her brow creased in thought for a moment before she visually shrugged it off and closed her eyes again.

Duncan's voice floated in breathlessly saying, "Veronica…" and she smiled sleepily to herself. But right before she could doze off it continued, "…we are more 09ers than anything else." Veronica rolled flat onto her back and threw the covers half off. "Are you completely forgetting the last year and a half?" she called out angrily at the voice that wasn't there. Once she remembered she was all alone she deflated into her bed. _What is this, my own personal version of the ghosts of Christmas?_ Veronica laid there for a moment without trying to close her eyes again, allowing herself to be caught up in thought. _With his pension for denial he might have well forgotten._ Her face took on an edge of anger, but quickly crumpled into resignation. _But it doesn't change the fact he's right. I've never really fit anywhere else; everything is just getting back to normal. _Veronica closed her eyes again, but peaked one of them open suspiciously before she fully closed them.

And that's when Wallace's laughing tone came to her, "You use to trust him…" She opened her eyes with a huff of resignation. _It was a necessity, and it was before he lied to me…_ But her thoughts trail off as she remembers the incident.

Flash back  
She is sitting outside of the cell Weevil is being held in. Weevil says "Diamond ring."

She answers "You broke in to steal a ring?"  
End Flash back

Veronica nearly rolls her eyes at herself. _Like I expected him to tell me the truth with god knows what Lamb had hidden in there. _

She was laying in quiet contemplation when Logan's disjointed voice floated back to her, "…you'd know…dangerous…PCHers…this summer."

Flash back  
The glass gets blown out of Logan's back window  
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Her voice accuses, "Bikers ride up, blow a hole through Logan's car." as the look of surprise momentarily passes over his features.  
End Flash back

Veronica's eyes open wide at the revelation. _How could that surprise him? Did he think I wouldn't say anything about it? Not know who was there? Not know about it at all?_ Logan's voice floats back again "…dangerous…this summer." Her brow crunched as she begins to remember something else.

Flash back  
Veronica is asking, "What's all the gasoline for?" Logan clears his throat and clearly lies, "We're gonna... go kill the grass on the Pan High football field, spell out 'Pan Sucks'."  
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A newspaper that features the picture of a pool with flames dancing on top. The headline reads 'Vandalisim Reaches New High at Community Pool' and the line below reads 'What is happening in Neptune? And more importantly what will happen next…'  
End Flash back

She now lies with remorse written across her features, _And now Neptune is rapidly degrading into a turf war._ Her expression changes to one of resignation, but she again tries to close her eyes.

Finally, her own voice floats back to her, full of determination, "Maybe it's a lost cause, but a fire can't start without a spark."  
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Veronica stepped out into the courtyard and surveyed the area where everyone is eating lunch. Her eyes stopped briefly on Duncan sitting with Wallace, but slide to the table were Logan and Dick were holding court with the rest of the 09ers. When her eyes came to rest on him, Logan looked over at her, catching her gaze. She took a deep breath, hitched her bag up on her shoulder and walked towards the opposite side of the courtyard.

Logan's eyes trailed her casually as she walked to the bikers and stopped next to Weevil. Logan's face contorted in surprise, alerting a few of the 09ers to what had happened, and they fell silent.

As the hush spread from the 09ers like a wave, Weevil glanced at Veronica and then swept the courtyard. When his eyes settled back on her he casually commented, "I implied visible, but I don't recall anything about a bulletin board in Times Square."

Veronica casually leaned against the table, and answered flippantly "I find the best way to inspire complete and accurate gossip coverage is to have a lot of witnesses."

Weevil smiled and shook his head, then gestured sideways. "That not gonna be a problem is it?"

Veronica redirected her focus to Duncan looking confused and agitated with Wallace shrugging at him. Wallace looked back at her and she smiled reassuringly with a slight nod. He nodded back, and turned to Duncan speaking in what appeared to be a comforting manor.

When Veronica turned back to Weevil the noise level had picked back up most of the way. But Logan was still silently staring in her direction.  
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Veronica walked out to her car after school amid stares from several other students. As she approached her car she noticed the front passenger tire was flat. Veronica stopped and tilted her head to the side regarding the tire. _And we're back to mysterious flat tires again._ Veronica smiled slightly to herself as she moved around back and started taking out what she needed. _It might not be normal, but it appears things are getting back to how they use…_

Her thoughts where cut off when Cassidy appeared next to her car. "So do you think I could bum a ride home if I help with the tire?"

Veronica turned her head to the side with her hands still in the trunk and regarded him with curiosity. "It's not my first flat Cassidy; I can handle it if you don't want to miss your regular ride."

He looked at her nervously and then back over his shoulder where Dick glared at him with murderous intent. "I think it might be better if I avoided being alone with Dick for awhile."

Veronica took a long look at Dick as she turned and leaned against her bumper. "I'm thinking you maybe right on that one, but I have been told my social disease is contagious."

Cassidy smiled at her, but before he could respond Wallace materialized at her other side with Mac who joyously announced, "I think it is the perfect day for studying at the beach."

Veronica looked between them all slightly surprised and confused, when Cassidy spoke up "Now that is something I think I can handle."

Meanwhile Wallace had looked in her trunk and then at her tire, "You want a big strong man to take care of that so you can join us?" he asked with a joking heave of his chest.

Veronica shook her head at his antics and responded, "No, I think me and Cassidy have it under control. We'll meet you there in a few." They both wave at her happily as the retreated to their cars

She turned and pulled the tire out of her trunk while Cassidy traded his backpack for the jack. _Ok, so not back to how it use to be exactly, but who would want things to stay the same all the time? I can only imagine that it would get really boring._


End file.
